Draining device for cylinders.



R. B. 'GREENWAY.

DRAlNlNG DEVICE FOR CYLINDERS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7. 191a. RENEWED ocr. a. 1918.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

a 6 INVLIVTOR.

WW Am f .4 Tram/15y vide a valve mechanism of novel construc- UNITED sra rns rarnnr orrioii.

ROBERT B. GREENWAY, OF SAN BERNAEDINO, CALIFORNIA.

DRAINING DEV ICE FOR CYLINDERS.

Patented Dec. 1'7, 1918.

Application filed September 7, 1916, Serial No. 118,850. Renewed October 8, 1918. Serial No. 257,410.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. GREENWAY, a citizen of the United States,'residing at San Bernardino, in the county of San Bernardino and State of California, have in vented a certain new and useful Improvement in Draining Devices for Cylinders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in draining devices for cylinders.

While it is adapted for many uses. It is particularly well adapted for use in connection with an air pump carried by a locomotive employed for pumping up a pressure for the air brake system.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide novel means by which a cylinder may be drained automatically when not under pressure.

My invention provides further novel means by which the cylinder may be drained when under pressure and without necessitating the engineer getting out of his cab for this purpose.

Another object of my invention is to protion adapted to be used in connection with my improved draining system.

Other novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure l is a side elevation showing my improvement applied to a locomotive boiler and air pump.

Fig. 2 is a view, enlarged, in vertical section, of the valve mechanism and some of the parts connected therewith.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4% of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in the difierent views.

1 designates the pumping cylinder of an air pump carried by a locomotive, and provided with a drainage opening 2 with which communicates one arm of a U-shaped conductor 3, the other arm of which communicates with an inlet 5 in the lower end of a vertical valve casing 6, which is provided with a lateral outlet 7 which communicates with the atmosphere.

Intermediate of the inlet 5 and outlet 7 is a valve seat 8, against which is adapted to bear a verticalmovable self-opening valve 9 having an upwardly extending stem 10 which is smaller than and extends through a yertical hole 11 in the upper end of the casing 6.

The upper end of the casing 6 is provided with external screw-threads fitted in the internally screw-threaded lower end of a vertical cylinder 12, the upper end of which is connected by a steam conductor 13 with the steam boiler 14 of the locomotive.

The conductor 13 includes the shut-off valve 15. i

The conductor 3 includes in its lowermost transverse portion a drain cock 16.

Reciprocative in the cylinder 12 is a piston 17 adapted to be forced, by steam pressure from the conductor 13 exerted against its upper end, downwardly into contact with the upper end of the stem 10, so as to force the valve 9 from the seat 8 against the fluid pressure which forces the said valve against the seat. In order that this may be accomplished, the area subject to steam pressure at the upper end of the piston 17 is greater than the area of the valve subject to an upward pressure by the steam thereunder. The

. piston 17, cylinder 12, conductor 13, and

shut-0d valve 15 comprise manually controlled fiuid actuated means for forcing the valve 9 from its seat.

For normally forcing the piston 17 upwardly away from the valve stem 10, 1 provide yielding means comprising a vertical coil spring 18 in the cylinder 12, the upper end of the spring bearing against the lower end of the piston, and the lower end of the spring resting on the casing 6.

In order that the conductor 13 may be drained, the piston 17 is provided with a longitudinal hole 19, which is closed at its lower end by the stem 10, when the piston moves down and strikes said stem.

For preventing the valve 9 from closing the passage 5, when the valve is in the open position, the bottom of the casing, which comprises preferably a screw plug 20, is provided on its upper side with one or more pins 21, adapted to support the valve 9 in anelevated position above the passage 5.

In the automatic operation of my invention, the drain cock 16 is normally closed, so when the cylinder 1 is not under pressure, water will pass therefrom through the conductor 3 and the inlet 5 into the casing 6 and around the'valve 9, which is resting by gravity on the pins :21, and thence out of the casing through the outlet 7. To prevent freezing, the cock 16 may be opened at any time so as to drain the conductor 3 and casing 6.

l Vhen there is pressure in the cylinder 1, this pressure will be communicated to the casing 6- and will causethe valve 9*to be closed against theseat 8.. The engineer may dram the cylinder whenthe pressureis on without gettingout-of hiszcab, byopening the sh'ut-ofi valve 15'. The steam from the boiler will then pass through the conductor 13 into the cylinder 1 and will force'the piston 1-7 downwardly,- againstthe pressure of the spring; 18 until the piston comes in contact with the valve stem 10', at which time the latterwill close the opening 19,

and the steam pressure above'the piston will force the valve9downward-ly from the seat 8, thereby permitting the pressure in the cylinder 1 to force water out of the conductor3 and easing 6 in the manner'already described.

After the engineer has closed the valve 15, the steam pressure above the piston; 17 will be relieved by leakage between the pis ion 17 and the valve stem 10 through the opening 19, whereby the pressure in the lower part of the conductor 13 will be re lievedthrough the valve 15.

The spring 18 will then force the piston 17 to its'uppermost position, shown in Fig.

2, and the pressure below the valve 9. will force it to its seat 8. At. thistimethe stem ldwill be separated from. the piston 17,

and the cylinder 12 nd lower portion ,ofthe conductor 13 will drain into theicasing' 6 through the opening 11, and thence out of the casing 6 by way of the outlet 7, the open ing 19 permit-ting water to pass from above the piston 17 into the cylinder 12 below the piston.

I do not limit my invention to the struc' ture shown and described, as modifications,

vithin the scope of the appended claims,

may be made without departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

What I claim is 1. In draining devices for. cylinders, a cylinder having a. drain opening, a discharge conductor having a. valve casing provided with a valve seat and a discharge opening at the outer side of said seat,a selropening valve adapted to be forced'by pressure in said conductor against said seat, a

menace conductor having one arm connected with.

said opening, the other arm having a valve seat and a discharge opening alcoves-aid seat, both' arms being vertical, a vertically movable self-opening valve movable up wardly by pressure in said conductor against saidseat; second. cylinder, a boiler, a conductor having shut oii' means and connect- 111g said'b'oiler and said second cylinder, a piston in saidv second cylinder adapted to be forced by pressure therein against and p to open said valve against pressure in said. conductor first named and having a longitudinal opening adapted to be closed by said valve, and a spring for normally forcing the piston away from said valve. 7

8. ln draining devices for cylinders, a valve casing having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat between said inlet and said outlet, a self-opening valve in said casing adapted to" be moved by pressure therein against said eat, a cylinder having an inlet for fluid, a piston in said cylinderinovable by pressure therein against said valve for.

opening th'evalve against pressure in said casing and having a longitudinal opening adapted" to be closed by said valve, and yielding means for normally forcing the piston awayfrom said valve.

4'. In draining devices for cylinders, a valve casing having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat between theinlet and the outlet, a self-opening valve in said casing movable by pressure therein against said seat, a cylinderhavin an inlet for fluid a iston in said,

a a l cylinder movable by pressure therein against said valve for opening the latter, the piston having a longitudinal opening adaptedto be closed by said valve, and a spring for normally forcing said piston away from said valve.

in testimony whereof I have signed my.

name to this specification.

RQBERT B. GREElll VAY.

topics or. this be nbtaincd for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, 

